Update - Paisley (aka; Demon, Fe-real, Puss, Evil etc)

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Remember this tiny sweet destitute girl? She came to live with us in May. My friend Liz found her at the church and I agreed to take her in? She was so small and helpless and cuddley. (Sorry, I still haven't fixed the date on my camera.)


Well, this is her now! Sometimes she requires restraint (for our protection).

Sometimes she gives you looks that could kill!


Lots of the time she has her mouth open like she is a feral beast!


And sometimes you can see the promise of a beautiful adult lady-cat who is loving and affectionate.

She had her first visit to the doctor and got some shots and acted like she was well behaved (when she isn't). The doctor said she will probably always have some issues since she wasn't with her mom as long as is customary. She still sucks on blankets and things for comfort. She is spending time outside (only in the mornings though - because it is so hot!). She is obsessed with Q-tips, the dishwasher, my blankie (can't blame her for that one), cheese and me! It is wonderful to have a pet again.

7 Layer Bars

1/2 Cup Butter
1 1/2 Cup Smashed Graham Crackers
12 oz. Butterscotch Chips
12 oz. Milk Chocolate Chips
1 Cup Coconut
1 Cup Walnuts
1 Can Sweetened Condensed Milk

Heat oven to 300. Melt butter in sprayed 9X13 baking dish. Make sure it is even in pan. Pour smashed graham crackers on top, butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, coconut, nuts and then pour condensed milk evenly on top. Bake 40 - 45 minutes or until slightly brown on top. Cool and cut into squares.

I got this recipe at a cookie exchange - and once I tasted them I didn't want to trade for anything else. I love these. I can eat an entire pan of these by myself and have been known to get so involved with them that I don't feel well. When I think about it they are sort of expensive to make - but they are worth it every once in a while. It is the perfect blend of flavors! I am a butterscotch fiend - not merely a "friend" but a FIEND! They do not last long here - even though Cory thinks they are too sweet, Cam and I eat them up.

Routes (Running #2)

Alright, so it might not be every week! Call it "periodic" running tips.

My next topic is "running routes". I think every runner should have several - according to their needs. I have a short, medium and a couple of longs. I have 3 other longer routes for when I have been training for something long and I have another with a lot of traffic (not just car traffic - but lots of people traffic). Let me explain.

I usually run a short, a medium and a long each week. The other days I mow the lawn, bike (which I need to do more of) and take a day off. Right now, I am trying to up my mileage so I am running 2 mediums and a long each week and sometimes I add another day in there too - but then my knees get to hurting (another story). We all need to mix it up - we can't run the same old thing every day we run. My running issues are interest, mileage and time.

Cory has a garmin - where he can put a route in and follow where the garmin tells him to go. I don't have a garmin (and wouldn't be able to see it if I did have one). So, I make up a route and then I go to www.gmap-pedometer.com or www.mapmyrun.com and map the distance precisely, then I add or subtract distance accordingly. I also keep time by the kitchen clock when I walk out the door and when I walk back in (extremely accurate). I can't see my watch without my glasses.

Like I said before, the most important elements for my routes are interest, mileage and time. Sometimes I only have a certain amount of time to get a run in and therefore I know I must run my short route - or run my medium faster than I normally would. Knowing the route mileage is important to get in the right amount of miles per week. And interest for me is paramount. Since I am no deep thinker when I run, and I definitely do not calculate times like Cory and Cam do when they run. I have to have routes that keep my attention. I also do not run with music because it is dangerous, so I need some visual stimulation. I like looking at yards and homes for upgrades or changes. I also like sidewalks because drivers can be crazy sometimes. Some days I don't feel all that motivated so I will take my heavy traffic route - where I will see lots of people because (don't deny it) I don't stop running if someone else is around.

The tip I am trying to give is to make up several routes. Think about your needs, weaknesses, likes and dislikes so that you don't have to think about making something up on the fly, you already know where you are going, approximately how long it should take you and the distance you have traveled.

Prague & Vienna

This post has seemed overwhelming to me - so I have been putting it off. What can you say about a glorious trip to Prague and Vienna that will do it justice? How can I convey how blessed I feel to have had the opportunity and the means to travel? I will just do the best that I can.

In answer to some who think it strange that I would take a trip like this by myself - let me explain. Cory would have loved to have gone. With the current economic climate being as precarious as it is - his employer has had to make cutbacks on vacation time and holiday time. They have taken vacation time away from employees and lots of the extra holiday time too. Unfortunately, Cory's vacation days are all spoken for and he didn't have this time to spare. Cameron (who has NO interest in traveling abroad) was going to be at EFY all week and it seemed like a great time to go. My friend Liz was going to go - but then we realized that Continental has also raised the price for the buddy pass to $500 to go international. Flying standby for $500 is not a good deal. It was also a poor time for her to leave town - we were both disappointed. But, with all of this said - should I not travel just because I have to go alone? I might not be in a position to travel like this always and I just don't want to waste the opportunity. So, it isn't my first choice (although I don't mind it at all) to go alone - but I won't let it stop me.

Cam drove me to the airport on Friday the 26th of June in the afternoon. My flight left around 3pm and I was happily seated in first class (which when flying oversees is the best way to go as the seats recline fully). I had a connection in Amsterdam the next morning and that took me into Prague. I stayed at the Archibald City Hotel right near Wenceslas Square and the National Museum that you can see at the top of this picture. I passed this building anytime I went anywhere.

For the next four days I went non-stop touring mode! These are some of the amazing places that I visited. Powder Tower - which you can climb the stairs on the inside and walk out onto the tower for an amazing view of the city from the top! (Yes, the dates are wrong on my pictures because I got a new camera and haven't tried to figure out how to fix that yet!)

Onto the Astronomical Clock at the Old Town Hall. This is one of the most amazing things. We think we are so smart in this modern day and yet there are things such as this that we don't comprehend. This was probably my favorite sight in Prague.

The other side of the church where the Astronomical Clock is.

This is a postcard of Old Town Bridge Tower - and yes, I climbed to the top of this one too and walked around on top!

This is St. Vitus's Cathedral up at the center of Prague Castle's many buildings.

This is St. Nicholas Church - in the second photo I am up walking around the tower taking a picture of Prague Castle from there.


These are views of Prague Castle from the banks of the Vlata River which runs right through the middle of Prague. The next is taken from the Charles Bridge and the next is taken from Petrin's Hill. I wish I had a better picture or postcard of Prague Castle - it (the many buildings) takes up one whole side of this hill and barely fits into one shot. It was overwhelming to tour - after about 6 buildings I gave up on it.



Incredibly enough I have forgotten which church this photo was taken in (duh!), but it was amazing nontheless! Would you have even known if I had named some church?

After four wonderful days in Prague - I took the train to Vienna. I have to admit - by this time I was slowing down a little. I made myself stay awake through the slow, comforting rolls and pitches of the train, because I knew I might never see scenery like that again. It was incredible! I arrived in Vienna and made my way to the Alpha Hotel right near the town hall pictured here.

The afternoon that I arrived I made my way to St. Stephan's Cathedral - it is really the heart of Vienna. It was bursting with activity and people. This is a postcard (obviously), which is better than any photo I could take.

My first full day in Vienna I did the hop on - hop off bus. I like to do those because it really orients you to the city. Prague was manageable on foot - Vienna, not so much. The bus left from in front of the Opera House which is pictured here.

Here is the famous statue of Mozart - everything in Vienna has something to do with Mozart or some other famous composer/musician. They claim they are the music capital of the world. I tried to wait for people to get out of my picture but I stood there for a long time and it never happened.

This is St. Charles Church - probably my favorite sight in Vienna. They have a stairway set up so that you can climb to the top of the tower on the inside and see all of the beautiful murals there on the cieling of the highest tower. I stood in that very top little section.



This is a shot of another of the archways - the view that the worshippers would have from the pews at St. Charles Church.

This is Prater - a huge ferris wheel that is famous in Vienna. 20+ people fit into one of those car things and the ferris wheel takes about 40 minutes to complete - not something that sounded fun to me.

There were a number of castles in Vienna - this one is the Schoenbrunn Castle. There was also the Belvedere Castle and the Hofburg Castle. As well as MANY museums. All phenomenal, I know this even though I didn't make it to all of them.

I left Vienna early in the morning and went through London. I did manage to get first class on the way home too - which is such a blessing cause I was so tired!

All in all, and in every way it was an awesome trip. It didn't escape my notice though, that I arrived back home on the 4th of July. It was wonderful to be able to read signs in my own language and hear people talk in my own language and then I went through customs to enter back into my own country again. It is a freeing feeling to belong. I love to travel but I also LOVE to come back home!

13 Things I Realized on My Trip to Europe

I just got back from Prague and Vienna, as you know. These are some of my ponderings while there. You can truly appreciate the deep thinker that I am.

1. Black bras go with anything, common knowledge in Europe I guess, too bad I don't own one.

2. European women have much firmer butts and legs because they walk up and down stairs so much. I have stairs in my house and don't do the same amount of stairs in a year as I did while there for a week! I have been inspired!

3. We pride ourselves on being so much more clean in the U.S. - but they have us on those bidets. Why haven't those ever caught on over here?

4. Europeans don't enjoy a "cold" drink like we do. I think their refrigerator's must only cool to 60 degrees or something, and are incapable of producing ice.

5. Shoes are more form over function to most Europeans. In this area I will always be obvious as an American.

6. Flirting is a universal language but no one does it better than the Europeans!

7. Eating yucky cheese is a European acquired taste. We in the U.S. may be unsophisticated in our taste in cheese but I can live with that.

8. Some form of bread should be eaten with every meal (I am adopting this rule).

9. Wearing white pants with a black thong - is too hard NOT to stare at.

10. Air conditioning is rare and often unnecessary in Europe (plus eco-sensitive) - but in this I am a true American!

11. Smoking is the disgusting norm, and you can't avoid it anywhere you go!

12. Everywhere is "dog friendly" and they love and train their dogs to be a part of daily life even in the city.

13. Most American merchandise and pop culture is bigger in Europe than it is here, (it may sound egotistical but they are obsessed with us!).

Some Great Things About Europe

Some of you might not know it but I am currently in Prague. You can't help but compare things to what you know from the U.S. Here are some things that I have been noticing while I have been here.

People are WAY more affectionate. I have seen folks making out, hugging or holding hands all over the place. I think it's kinda nice.

People are more accepting. You can wear anything, your hair can look any way, you can smell any way, you can be any size or shape and it seems no one gives it a second thought. We are all so cookie cutter in the U.S.

The public transport system is awesome all over Europe. If we are so smart why can't we compete here?

The stores here are just little holes in walls with stuff crammed in them. We have these huge places where you can listen to music, get your nails or hair done and bank. It is just different, thats all.

Those are just some of my ponderings so far. It is kinda nice that I am sitting here in the lobby of the hotel on this computer and I haven't showered since yesterday or washed my hair in two or three days (why bother since I can't fix it anyway?) and none of my clothes match and I'm not wearing a bra. I have a hat on and no makeup and I seem to fit right in. Maybe this is where I really belong?

Paige's Running Tips

I've been thinking for awhile that I would do a weekly running blog - some people I know are just starting out and hopefully some of my tips or experiences can help them. I am by no means training for the Olympics - and I certainly don't claim to have all the answers. But I do run and have for years, and I enjoy it. There have been some obstacles along the way - and those are some of the things I want to address.

The first topic I would broach is "breathing". When I was in HS on the track team (which I hated, by the way) my coach was big on "breathing patterns". He would go on and on about how when you breath in two counts you should breath out one - or in three and out two etc. I would employ this but it always frustrated me. Invariably, I would end up with a stitch in my side. Now I realize that I was concentrating TOO hard on my breathing and it wasn't natural - therefore side ache. (Yes, it is my opinion that side aches while running are attributed to breathing.)

What I learned running in the Army is to try and relax your breathing. Don't pucker your mouth and act like you are in labor - relax your lips, keep your mouth slack. In fact, if you notice your hands fisted or tense - shake them out. This applies to your shoulders, neck or whatever. You often see people running shaking out their arms or hands or rolling their shoulders. They are just trying to stay loose.

Back to the "breathing". When I start to notice a twinge in my side, before anything major, I know I am starting to have an issue with my breathing. This is what I try: First I try to get my focus OFF of my breathing. It is usually when I am conscious of it that it becomes a problem. So think of other things. You should periodically evaluate your breathing during your run, but it should not stay uppermost in your mind. Next, I do things to change it up, because the current pattern is clearly not working. I clear my throat or swallow a few times or sniff or even try to burp (even the smalled burp relieves diaphragm pressure). I keep doing these kind of things till my breathing regulates itself. I swear this works - and it is really simple. At all costs try to continue to run through it. The more you run the more unconcious these things become and breathing slowly becomes a non-issue. It is also my opinion that running with very little or nothing in my stomach seems to help. It allows my diaphragm to expand more fully. I'm not sure if this is the correct explanation but it seems to work for me.

There is a great feeling that comes when you are running and your breathing is working - there IS a pattern to it - but you didn't manufacture it - it came on its own. Your body knows what it is doing - don't try and force breathing patterns on it, just let the breathing pattern happen.